News
Archbishop: U.S. risks losing soul by ignoring immigrants’ humanity
The archbishop of Los Angeles called upon the United States to remember the humanity of men, women and children in the country illegally or risk losing its soul. Addressing the city's Jewish community March 19, Archbishop Jose H. Gomez said the time has come for the U.S. to adopt comprehensive immigration to provide undocumented immigrants with a path to citizenship.
Despite close ties, pope skipped family barbecues to minister in slums
Even though Pope Francis is very close to his family, he would often skip their barbecues to spend Sundays or holidays in Buenos Aires' slums, the pope's sister said. "That's the way he is: totally devoted to the mission of a priest; he is the pastor of the least," said Maria Elena Bergoglio.
Vatican workers join pope for early morning Masses
Dressed in orange safety vests, green jumpsuits or other workers' attire, Vatican gardeners, garbage collectors and cleaning crews joined Pope Francis for a 7 a.m. Mass March 22. Usually in the Vatican, "we're the invisible ones," Luciano Cecchetti, coordinator of the Vatican gardeners and sanitation workers, told Vatican Radio after the Mass.
District One hoops champ Villa Maria plays family-style, win or lose
To say that most people figured Villa Maria Academy’s basketball team would have enough ammunition to make a bunch of noise in the postseason would be, well, inaccurate. For good reason. [hotblock] When you lose four standout starters and then need to rely on one primo performer and a horde of relatively inexperienced underclassmen, expectations […]
Obama lights candles, prays at Bethlehem’s Church of Nativity compound
U.S. President Barack Obama, visiting the West Bank city of Bethlehem, stopped twice to light candles for his family and himself: first at the Church of Nativity grotto, where Christian tradition holds that Jesus was born, then at the adjacent Catholic Church of St. Catherine. On the last leg of his four-day visit to Israel […]
St. Anastasia’s girls win state CYO basketball title
St. Anastasia of Newtown Square won the girls state CYO championship March 17 by beating St. Gabriel’s of the Pittsburgh Diocese 36-21 to win the title game at Lancaster Catholic High School. St. Anastasia’s girls won the archdiocesan CYO championship the week earlier and the right to represent the Archdiocese in the state tournament. Shown below […]
St. Maximilian Kolbe wins archdiocesan boys CYO basketball title
St. Maximilian Kolbe, West Chester, finished a perfect season with a 58-53 win over parochial powerhouse St. Andrew’s, Newtown, to win its first boys archdiocesan Catholic Youth Organization basketball championship March 9 in front of a capacity crowd at Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster. (See a photo of the girls CYO basketball state champion, […]
CSS so good at supporting pregnant women, state agency gives it top award
Catholic Social Services (CSS) of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has been named Pennsylvania’s Service Provider of the Year by the Harrisburg-based Real Alternatives, a state-funded nonprofit that administers the Alternative to Abortion Services Program of the Commonwealth.
Archbishop Ryan HS, Holy Family U, agree to stronger ties in Northeast Phila.
Students and faculty at Archbishop Ryan High School will soon be able to earn college-level credits or continuing education credits and a smoother college admissions process through a new partnership with Holy Family University.
Syrian Christians turn to Turkish churches, not refugee camps, for help
ISTANBUL (CNS) -- Churches and monasteries in Turkey are struggling to shelter a rising number of Syrian Christian refugees who are reluctant to seek help at government-run relief camps because of reported Muslim extremism, said a Catholic Relief Services staffer.